Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Elevator Pitch: A vast explosion on the Klingon home moon will result in the loss of their planet in 50 years, and so they are forced into negotiations with the Federation. Kirk and his Enterprise crew are sent out to negotiate but it all goes wrong when it seems that they have torpedoed the Klingon flagship which results in the death of their chancellor. Kirk and McCoy surrender to Klingon justice and are sentenced to hard labour on the icy planet of Rura Penthe.  It seems that forces against peace are at work, including the new helmsperson on the Enterprise, the Vulcan, Valeris. Can Kirk and Bones escape, and will the conspiracy be revealed.

Content: There is no sex or nudity, and just a bit of drinking in formal situations. The space craft zoom about and engage in some battles. There is bloodshed, as the Klingons are attacked and some killed. Some working areas on the Enterprise, particularly the galley and some dormitories are seen for the first time ever.  Much of the running time taken up with the trial of our heroes, the prison planet, the underground environment and the frozen surface.

A View: This film was quite well liked by both the critics and the general public and made money, but the whole business of the plot and the trial slowed things  down to the point of boredom. And when it comes down to it we have accepted the ability of the Klingon ships to be “cloaked”, but this film revealed a plot hole in the whole series. If a torpedo could be set up to home on a cloaked ship’s  exhaust, how come the Enterprise’s sensors could not see it? So, if you’ve seen the others doubtless you’ll have a look at this, but for new fans start with Star Trek IV.

Additional Info: The information about the making of the movie is more interesting than the film itself, but I actually liked the rumour (denied by those apparently involved) that Kim Cattrell, who played Valeris, engaged in a photo shoot on the empty bridge of the Enterprise, clad only in her Vulcan ears.